Mindy Kaling

While it was on the U.S. television iteration of the popular sitcom "The Office" (NBC, 2004-2013) that Mindy Kaling first became known to audiences, it was the seemingly unlimited abilities of this talented actress-writer-producer that made her one of the most sought-after young talents in Hollywood. Initially hired as a staff writer on the series, Kaling soon found herself thrust in front of the camera in the role of the chatty, self-absorbed Kelly Kapoor. As both Kaling's character and her scripted episodes gained popularity, she rose through the ranks behind the scenes on the series, later becoming an executive producer for "The Office." Soon she was appearing in such films as "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" (2005), "License to Wed" (2007) and "No Strings Attached" (2011), in addition to publishing a comedic memoir, "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)" that same year. After eight memorable seasons on "The Office," Kaling departed to embark on her next adventure, as the star and executive producer of the sitcom "The Mindy Project" (Fox, 2012-15; Hulu, 2015-17). Possessed with enough talent and charm for three people, Kaling was merely at the start of what was sure to be a long and enviable career, which included publishing best-selling memoirs and co-starring in high-profile films such as the Pixar comedy "Inside Out" (2015) and Ava DuVernay's "A Wrinkle in Time" (2018).